Indoor Air Pollution

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Indoor Air Pollution: MedlinePlus (Print Version)

Indoor Air Pollution URL of this page: http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/indoorairpollution.html We usually think of air pollution as being outdoors, but the air in your house or office could also be polluted. Sources of indoor pollution include Biological contaminants like mold and pollen Tobacco smoke Household products and pesticides Gases such as radon and carbon monoxide Materials used in the building such as asbestos, formaldehyde and lead Sick building syndrome occurs when several people are affected, but no specific source of the illness is found. Indoor air quality problems usually only cause discomfort, and most people feel better as soon as they eliminate the source of the pollution. However, some pollutants can cause diseases that show up much later, such as respiratory diseases or cancer. Making sure that your building is well-ventilated and eliminating pollutants can improve the quality of your indoor air. Environmental Protection Agency

Start Here Introduction to Indoor Air Quality [http://www.epa.gov/iaq/ia-intro.html] (Environmental Protection Agency)

Overviews Indoor Air Quality [http://www.lung.org/associations/charters/mid-atlantic/air-quality/indoor-air-quality.html] (American Lung Association) Inside Story: A Guide to Indoor Air Quality [http://www.epa.gov/iaq/pubs/insidestory.html] (Environmental Protection Agency, Indoor Environments Division) Take a Tour of the IAQ House [http://www.epa.gov/iaq/iaqhouse.html] (Environmental Protection Agency, Indoor Environments Division)

Prevention/Screening Flood Cleanup [http://www.epa.gov/iaq/flood/index.html] (Environmental Protection Agency, Indoor Environments Division) Guide to Air Cleaners in the Home [http://www.epa.gov/iaq/pubs/airclean.html] (Environmental Protection Agency, Indoor Environments Division) Keep Pollution Out of Your Home [http://www.lung.org/healthy-air/home/resources/keep-pollution-out-of-yourhome.html] (American Lung Association) Ozone Generators That Are Sold as Air Cleaners [http://www.epa.gov/iaq/pubs/ozonegen.html] (Environmental Protection Agency, Indoor Environments Division) Should You Have the Air Ducts in Your Home Cleaned? [http://www.epa.gov/iaq/pubs/airduct.html] (Environmental Protection Agency, Indoor Environments Division) Use and Care of Home Humidifiers [http://www.epa.gov/iaq/pdfs/humidifier_factsheet.pdf] (Environmental Protection Agency, Indoor Environments Division) - PDF Warning Signs to Look for before You Buy or Rent [http://www.nationaljewish.org/about/mediacenter/pressreleases/2009/evaluating-an-apartment-or-condo.aspx] (National Jewish Health) www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/indoorairpollution.html

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Your Home: Ventilation [http://energy.gov/public-services/homes/home-weatherization/ventilation] (Department of Energy)

Specific Conditions Biological Pollutants [http://www.epa.gov/iaq/biologic.html] (Environmental Protection Agency) Certain Glass Wool Fibers (Inhalable) [http://www.niehs.nih.gov/health/materials/fact_sheet_certain_glass_wool_fibers_inhalable.pdf] (National Toxicology Program) - PDF Formaldehyde [http://www.epa.gov/iaq/formaldehyde.html] (Environmental Protection Agency, Indoor Environments Division) Formaldehyde [http://www.niehs.nih.gov/health/materials/fact_sheet_formaldehyde.pdf] (National Toxicology Program) - PDF Furniture Flame Retardancy Partnership [http://www.epa.gov/dfe/pubs/projects/flameret/index.htm] (Environmental Protection Agency) Health Effects of Wood-Burning Appliances [http://www.epa.gov/burnwise/healtheffects.html] (Environmental Protection Agency) Respirable Particles [http://www.epa.gov/iaq/rpart.html] (Environmental Protection Agency, Indoor Environments Division) Styrene [http://www.niehs.nih.gov/health/materials/fact_sheet_styrene.pdf] (National Toxicology Program) - PDF Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) [http://www.epa.gov/iaq/voc.html] (Environmental Protection Agency, Indoor Environments Division)

Related Issues Healthy Air at School [http://www.lung.org/healthy-air/school/healthy-air-at-school/] (American Lung Association) Healthy Air at Work [http://www.lung.org/healthy-air/work/] (American Lung Association) How to Know if There Is a Problem [http://www.lung.org/healthy-air/home/resources/how-to-know-if-theresproblem.html] (American Lung Association) Indoor Air Quality Frequent Questions [http://iaq.supportportal.com/link/portal/23002/23007/ArticleFolder/975/Indoor-Air-Quality] (Environmental Protection Agency, Indoor Environments Division) Installation and Maintenance of Wood-Burning Appliance [http://www.epa.gov/burnwise/maintenance.html] (Environmental Protection Agency, Indoor Environments Division) Maintaining Indoor Environmental Quality (IEQ) during Construction and Renovation [http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/topics/indoorenv/ConstructionIEQ.html] (National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health) Office Building Occupant's Guide to Indoor Air Quality [http://www.epa.gov/iaq/pubs/occupgd.html] (Environmental Protection Agency, Indoor Environments Division) Sick Building Syndrome (SBS) [http://www.epa.gov/iaq/pdfs/sick_building_factsheet.pdf] (Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Air and Radiation) - PDF Tox Town [http://toxtown.nlm.nih.gov/] (National Library of Medicine) Also available in Spanish [http://toxtown.nlm.nih.gov/espanol/]

Clinical Trials ClinicalTrials.gov: Air Pollution, Indoor [http://clinicaltrials.gov/search/open/condition=%22Air+Pollution,+Indoor%22] Health)

(National Institutes of

Research FEMA-Provided Travel Trailer Study [http://www.cdc.gov/nceh/ehhe/trailerstudy/] (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)

Journal Articles www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/indoorairpollution.html

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References and abstracts from MEDLINE/PubMed (National Library of Medicine)

Article: A comparison of subject room dust with home vacuum dust... [http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23622010?tool=MedlinePlus] Article: The role of nicotine replacement therapy for temporary abstinence in... [http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23521825?tool=MedlinePlus] Article: Socioeconomic disparities in indoor air, breath, and blood perchloroethylene level... [http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23453848?tool=MedlinePlus] Indoor Air Pollution -- see more articles [http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed? term=air+pollution,indoor[majr]+NOT+ (radon[mh]+OR+mercury[mh]+OR+mycoses[mh]+OR+pesticides[mh]+OR+fungi[mh])+AND+english[la]+AND +(united+states[mh]+OR+kitchen[tw]+OR+home[tw]+OR+house[tw]+OR+residential[tw])+NOT+ (letter[pt]+OR+editorial[pt])+AND+%22last+1+Year%22[edat]&tool=MedlinePlus]

Dictionaries/Glossaries Glossary of Terms - Mold and Moisture [http://www.epa.gov/mold/glossary.html] (Environmental Protection Agency) Indoor Air Quality Glossary of Terms [http://www.epa.gov/iaq/glossary.html] (Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Air and Radiation)

Directories Indoor Air Quality State Map [http://www.cdc.gov/nceh/airpollution/indoor_air.htm] (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) Indoor Air Quality Where You Live: State and Regional Contact Information [http://www.epa.gov/iaq/whereyoulive.html] (Environmental Protection Agency, Indoor Environments Division)

Organizations American Lung Association [http://www.lung.org/] Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [http://www.cdc.gov/] Also available in Spanish [http://www.cdc.gov/spanish/] Environmental Protection Agency, Indoor Environments Division [http://www.epa.gov/iaq/] National Center for Environmental Health [http://www.cdc.gov/nceh/] (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences [http://www.niehs.nih.gov/]

Children Indoor Air [http://www.niehs.nih.gov/health/assets/docs_f_o/kids-indoor-air.pdf] (National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Children's Health Protection) PDF

You may also be interested in these related MedlinePlus topics: Air Pollution [http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/airpollution.html] Asbestos [http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/asbestos.html] Asthma [http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/asthma.html] Carbon Monoxide Poisoning [http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/carbonmonoxidepoisoning.html] Lead Poisoning [http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/leadpoisoning.html] Molds [http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/molds.html] Pesticides [http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/pesticides.html] Radon [http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/radon.html] Secondhand Smoke [http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/secondhandsmoke.html] Poisoning, Toxicology, Environmental Health [http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/poisoningtoxicologyenvironmentalhealth.html] The primary NIH organization for research on Indoor Air Pollution is the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences [http://www.niehs.nih.gov/] www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/indoorairpollution.html

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Date last updated: 4 July 2013 Topic last reviewed: 20 February 2013

www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/indoorairpollution.html

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